Spike's eyes bulge and then moved toward each other as his round head
began to elongate. His entire body quivered. It was as if every bone
in his body had vanished or turned to gelatin. He fell forward on top
you. The 150 boneless blob washed over you and oozed out of his
clothing. Spike was terrified, he clung to you.
"You're a human jellyfish? Your nightmare is to be totally
spineless?" you laugh as you push the blob off you and pull yourself
out from beneath him.
He starts to bawl. For a minute you are afraid that he'll wish to be
something else - something dangerous. But now you realize his
nightmare is not just to be spineless but to be helpless at the mercy
of someone he bullied. That part of his nightmare meant that he
couldn't wish his way out of the nightmare. But maybe you can, and
maybe he'll be grateful. You pet him soothingly until he stops
crying. He's really nothing more than a living human sponge, and a
sponge is softer to lie on than the bare ground. So that's what you
do. He is breathing softly and seems content with you to protect him.
You think about possibly changing him into a pet, or a weremattress.
The image of him as the bully stripping down and covering himself with
a fitted sheet as he lies down on your boxspring to prepare for his
nightly transformation into your mattress is very tempting. Then you
could always wish...